Elton John Calls Religion An Empty Garden

The gay and lesbian community has accomplished something that no politician, no religious leader, and no
bloodbath on any killing field ever could: we have united the world’s three major religions. Leaders of the
Muslim, Jewish, and Christian world have come together in the name of homophobia, and this holy alliance has
succeeded in having Israel’s Gay Pride parade cancelled. While top Muslim leaders called homosexuality a
crime and insisted that police punish those involved in the pride parade, prominent Jewish leader, Rabbi Yosef
Elnikaveh, equated allowing the parade to proceed with condoning “mental illness”. Last to come to the table,
Pope Benedict, weighed in with a letter sent to Isreal’s Prime Minister, the Pope declared that even the right to
freedom of expression has its limits if it “would offend the religious sentiments of believers.” Suggesting a belief
that freedom of expression is limited to only some people.

     After several days of hostile debate, the parade was cancelled citing fear of retaliation for recent violence
in Gaza where errant artillery shells killed 18 Palestinian civilians earlier this week. Whether the parade was
cancelled due to the reported threats of retaliation, or from the threats of hundreds of Ultra-Orthadox Jews
burning trash cans in the streets and clashing with police over the proposed parade, is anybody’s guess.
What is an inarguable fact though, is that this partnership, forged only in the pursuance of an anti-gay agenda,
certainly indites organized religion as a template from which much homophobia is created. It is their one
common clarion call for unity, the one hatred all can agree on, no matter who they call God. Just ask Elton
John.

     "I would ban religion completely, even though there are some wonderful things about it," Musician Elton
John told the Observer newspaper, in response to the cancelling of Israel’s Pride Parade. “It turns people into
hateful lemmings and it is not really compassionate." Is Elton correct in his summation? Yes and no. It is no
coincidence that states such as Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, who recently voted in favor of the
State Constitutional Gay-Marriage Ban, are also states often referred to as Bible Belt states. It is also true that
some Muslim countries retain the death penalty as the legal penance for homosexual acts. Still, it is hard to
imagine dismantling all major religions; after all, lemmings are sometimes preferable.

     Religion is what it was always meant to be: a global form of crowd control. It is no coincidence that Church
and State traditionally have held hands. Like a heavenly credit card, religion warns that if you screw up now
you’ll pay later, forever, like Visa gone mad. This ideology has probably many a misanthropist in line with its
fear of eternal damnation. It’s also a handy tool for those in support groups; sort of like ready-made higher
powers, without religion we’d have a bunch of alcoholics praying to empty clouds for strength. And of course,
without religion, to where would little old ladies drive their cars on Sunday? But as a political co conspirator, I'd
have to say Elton was right.